Cancer (Hansard, 6 February 2004)

§ Dr. Gibson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures his Department collects on the levels of funding by Government for cancer research in(a) the UK, (b) other European Union countries and (c) the USA. [150606]

§ Miss Melanie Johnson
The Government spent an estimated total of £190 million on cancer research in 2000–01. Figures for levels of funding by Governments in other European Union countries are not available. The budget of the United States National Cancer Institute for fiscal year 2004 is $4,770 million (£2,588 million).

§ Mrs. Calton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of(a) Government and (b) non-Government spending on (i) all cancer research and (ii) breast cancer research in 2003–04; what proportion of the above is for cancer prevention; and if he will make a statement. [152513]

§ Miss Melanie Johnson
In the NHS Cancer Plan, the government stated its commitment to increasing funds for cancer research so as to play a full part alongside its1124W funding partners. We said that, by 2003, we would be investing an additional £20 million each year in the infrastructure for cancer research and an extra £4 million on prostate cancer research. This new funding would mean that, for the first time, Government (through the Department, the Higher Education Funding Council and the research councils) would match the current investment of the voluntary sector. In June 2002, we confirmed to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee that Government investment in cancer research had already reached the level of the charities. Nevertheless, we remain committed to investing the extra £24 million, as described in the Cancer Plan.
The International Cancer Research Portfolio database at www.cancerportfolio.org contains details of projects supported by cancer research funding organisations in the United Kingdom and the United States. Data submitted by the National Cancer Research Institute includes the research portfolios of the 15 largest Government and charitable funders of cancer research in the UK where the research was active on 1 January 2003. The database can he searched by type of cancer, area of research (including prevention), and funding organisation.

§ Mrs. Calton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to inform men(a) about the known risk factors for prostate cancer and (b) on whether they should ask their doctor for a prostate specific antigen test. [152543]

§ Miss Melanie Johnson
We want men to know what their prostate is and what can go wrong with it. We have provided funding for the following to increase public awareness of prostate cancerSection 64 grant to the Prostate Cancer Charity to increase available information about prostate cancer. Section 64 grant to the Prostate Cancer Charity to improve awareness of the risks and symptoms of prostate cancer in African and Afro-Caribbean men in Britain. The database of individual patient experiences in prostate cancer.
We have also set up the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group (PCAG) to ensure better collaboration and communication between the Department, the voluntary sector, patient and professional groups and to advise Ministers, the National Cancer Director and the Department on the development of policy on prostate cancer. One of the first actions of the PCAG was the formation of a sub-group to look specifically at the public awareness of prostate cancer.
The prostate cancer risk management programme ensures that men considering a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer are given information concerning the benefits, limitations and risks associated with having the test. Evidence based primary care resource packs have been provided to all GPs to aid them in counselling men who are concerned about prostate cancer, enabling the man to make an informed choice on whether to take a PSA test.